A vitamin-C-derived DNA modification catalysed by an algal TET homologue.

Methylation of cytosine to 5-methylcytosine (5mC) is a prevalent DNA modification found in many organisms. Sequential oxidation of 5mC by ten-eleven translocation (TET) dioxygenases results in a cascade of additional epigenetic marks and promotes demethylation of DNA in mammals1,2. However, the enzymatic activity and function of TET homologues in other eukaryotes remains largely unexplored. Here we show that the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii contains a 5mC-modifying enzyme (CMD1) that is a TET homologue and catalyses the conjugation of a glyceryl moiety to the methyl group of 5mC through a carbon-carbon bond, resulting in two stereoisomeric nucleobase products. The catalytic activity of CMD1 requires Fe(II) and the integrity of its binding motif His-X-Asp, which is conserved in Fe-dependent dioxygenases3. However, unlike previously described TET enzymes, which use 2-oxoglutarate as a co-substrate4, CMD1 uses L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C) as an essential co-substrate. Vitamin C donates the glyceryl moiety to 5mC with concurrent formation of glyoxylic acid and CO2. The vitamin-C-derived DNA modification is present in the genome of wild-type C. reinhardtii but at a substantially lower level in a CMD1 mutant strain. The fitness of CMD1 mutant cells during exposure to high light levels is reduced. LHCSR3, a gene that is critical for the protection of C. reinhardtii from photo-oxidative damage under high light conditions, is hypermethylated and downregulated in CMD1 mutant cells compared to wild-type cells, causing a reduced capacity for photoprotective non-photochemical quenching. Our study thus identifies a eukaryotic DNA base modification that is catalysed by a divergent TET homologue and unexpectedly derived from vitamin C, and describes its role as a potential epigenetic mark that may counteract DNA methylation in the regulation of photosynthesis.

msBERT-Promoter: a multi-scale ensemble predictor based on BERT pre-trained model for the two-stage prediction of DNA promoters and their strengths.

BACKGROUND: A promoter is a specific sequence in DNA that has transcriptional regulatory functions, playing a role in initiating gene expression. Identifying promoters and their strengths can provide valuable information related to human diseases. In recent years, computational methods have gained prominence as an effective means for identifying promoter, offering a more efficient alternative to labor-intensive biological approaches. RESULTS: In this study, a two-stage integrated predictor called "msBERT-Promoter" is proposed for identifying promoters and predicting their strengths. The model incorporates multi-scale sequence information through a tokenization strategy and fine-tunes the DNABERT model. Soft voting is then used to fuse the multi-scale information, effectively addressing the issue of insufficient DNA sequence information extraction in traditional models. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time an integrated approach has been used in the DNABERT model for promoter identification and strength prediction. Our model achieves accuracy rates of 96.2% for promoter identification and 79.8% for promoter strength prediction, significantly outperforming existing methods. Furthermore, through attention mechanism analysis, we demonstrate that our model can effectively combine local and global sequence information, enhancing its interpretability. CONCLUSIONS: msBERT-Promoter provides an effective tool that successfully captures sequence-related attributes of DNA promoters and can accurately identify promoters and predict their strengths. This work paves a new path for the application of artificial intelligence in traditional biology.

Efficient methods for multiple types of precise gene-editing in Chlamydomonas.

Precise gene-editing using CRISPR/Cas9 technology remains a long-standing challenge, especially for genes with low expression and no selectable phenotypes in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a classic model for photosynthesis and cilia research. Here, we developed a multi-type and precise genetic manipulation method in which a DNA break was generated by Cas9 nuclease and the repair was mediated using a homologous DNA template. The efficacy of this method was demonstrated for several types of gene editing, including inactivation of two low-expression genes (CrTET1 and CrKU80), the introduction of a FLAG-HA epitope tag into VIPP1, IFT46, CrTET1 and CrKU80 genes, and placing a YFP tag into VIPP1 and IFT46 for live-cell imaging. We also successfully performed a single amino acid substitution for the FLA3, FLA10 and FTSY genes, and documented the attainment of the anticipated phenotypes. Lastly, we demonstrated that precise fragment deletion from the 3'-UTR of MAA7 and VIPP1 resulted in a stable knock-down effect. Overall, our study has established efficient methods for multiple types of precise gene editing in Chlamydomonas, enabling substitution, insertion and deletion at the base resolution, thus improving the potential of this alga in both basic research and industrial applications.

Immune protection of grass carp by oral vaccination with recombinant Bacillus methylotrophicus expressing the heterologous tolC gene.

In the field of aquaculture, the enhancement of animal health and disease prevention is progressively being tackled using alternatives to antibiotics, including vaccines and probiotics. This study was designed to evaluate the potential of a recombinant Bacillus methylotrophicus, engineered to express the outer membrane channel protein TolC of Aeromonas hydrophila AH3 and the green fluorescent protein GFP, as an oral vaccine. Initially, the genes encoding tolC and GFP were cloned into a prokaryotic expression system, and anti-TolC mouse antiserum was generated. Subsequently, the tolC gene was subcloned into a modified pMDGFP plasmid, which was transformed into B. methylotrophicus WM-1 for protein expression. The recombinant B. methylotrophicus BmT was then administered to grass carp via co-feeding, and its efficacy as an oral vaccine was assessed. Our findings demonstrated successful expression of the 55 kDa TolC and 28 kDa GFP proteins, and the preparation of polyclonal antibodies with high specificity. The BmT exhibited stable expression of the GFP-TolC fusion protein and excellent genetic stability. Following oral immunization, significant elevations were observed in serum-specific IgM levels and the activities of acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lysozyme (LZM) in grass carp. Concurrently, significant upregulation of immune-related genes, including IFN-I, IL-10, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IgT, was noted in the intestines, head kidney, and spleen of the grass carp. Colonization tests further revealed that the BmT persisted in the gut of immunized fish even after a fasting period of 7 days. Notably, oral administration of BmT enhanced the survival rate of grass carp following A. hydrophila infection. These results suggest that the oral BmT vaccine developed in this study holds promise for future applications in aquaculture.

Clinical features and visual prognosis of very late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder-related optic neuritis.

BACKGROUND: Very late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder-related optic neuritis is limited to a few case reports. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical features and visual prognosis of very late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder-related optic neuritis. METHODS: This study evaluated 22 patients with first-onset optic neuritis and fulfilled the 2015 diagnosis criteria for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders. RESULTS: The mean age at optic neuritis onset was 73.91 ± 4.71 (range: 70-82) years with a female predominance (81.8%; ratio: 4.5:1). Antinuclear antibody seropositivity and seronegativity were identified in 12 (55.5%) and 10 (45.5%) patients, respectively. Severe visual loss persisted in 19 (19/42, 45.3%) eyes at the last follow-up. Although patients with antinuclear antibody seropositivity had a significantly higher frequency of attacks (P = 0.015), but they had a longer median time to reach severe visual loss (37 vs. 26 months; log-rank test, P = 0.023). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed antinuclear antibody seropositivity (hazard ratio = 4.849, 95% confidence interval: 1.309-17.965, P = 0.018) as a good predictor of visual acuity improvement. CONCLUSION: Patients with very late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder-related optic neuritis may develop severe optic neuritis, and those with antinuclear antibody seronegativity have a similar clinical presentation but worse outcome than those with seropositivity.

Cross-and-Diagonal Networks: An Indirect Self-Attention Mechanism for Image Classification.

In recent years, computer vision has witnessed remarkable advancements in image classification, specifically in the domains of fully convolutional neural networks (FCNs) and self-attention mechanisms. Nevertheless, both approaches exhibit certain limitations. FCNs tend to prioritize local information, potentially overlooking crucial global contexts, whereas self-attention mechanisms are computationally intensive despite their adaptability. In order to surmount these challenges, this paper proposes cross-and-diagonal networks (CDNet), innovative network architecture that adeptly captures global information in images while preserving local details in a more computationally efficient manner. CDNet achieves this by establishing long-range relationships between pixels within an image, enabling the indirect acquisition of contextual information. This inventive indirect self-attention mechanism significantly enhances the network's capacity. In CDNet, a new attention mechanism named "cross and diagonal attention" is proposed. This mechanism adopts an indirect approach by integrating two distinct components, cross attention and diagonal attention. By computing attention in different directions, specifically vertical and diagonal, CDNet effectively establishes remote dependencies among pixels, resulting in improved performance in image classification tasks. Experimental results highlight several advantages of CDNet. Firstly, it introduces an indirect self-attention mechanism that can be effortlessly integrated as a module into any convolutional neural network (CNN). Additionally, the computational cost of the self-attention mechanism has been effectively reduced, resulting in improved overall computational efficiency. Lastly, CDNet attains state-of-the-art performance on three benchmark datasets for similar types of image classification networks. In essence, CDNet addresses the constraints of conventional approaches and provides an efficient and effective solution for capturing global context in image classification tasks.

Pathogenicity and inactivated vaccine treatment of Aeromonas veronii JW-4 on crucian carp.

Aeromonas veronii is a common bacterium found in a variety of aquatic environments, capable of causing a diverse array of diseases in both aquatic animals and humans. Therefore, evaluating the pathogenicity of A. veronii and implementing measures to control its spread are essential. In this study, a strain JW-4, identified as A. veronii, was isolated from diseased Scaphesthes macrolepis, a grade Ⅱ protected animal in China. To investigate the pathogenicity of the strain, fish were fed with serial levels JW-4 supplemented diet or basal diet (control group 1, CG1) for 28 days (d). Results showed that JW-4 stimulated an immune response, evidenced by an increase in immune-related enzyme activities (GOT and GPT) of serum and liver and an upregulation of genes expression levels (TNF-α and IFN-γ) of liver and spleen, and these effects gradually decreased over time. Histopathological examination revealed that JW-4 could alter the tissue structure of immune organs, such as liver and kidney. These changes were accompanied by vacuolar degeneration, nuclear dissolution, and an increased lymphocyte count. To assess protective effects of a vaccine against this strain, fish were injected with an inactivated vaccine (immunization group, IG) or 0.85% sterile saline (control group 2, CG2) for 28-day observation period, then challenged with JW-4 on the 28th day. The inactivated vaccine enhanced total and specific IgM to A. veronii levels of the fish, resulting in a relative percentage survival of 75% in IG. These findings provide a foundation for identifying pathogenic bacteria and developing more effective prophylactic strategies in aquaculture.

Association of choline and betaine with the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality: Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the role of circulating levels of choline and betaine in the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality by comprehensively reviewing observational studies. METHODS: This study was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 statement. Six electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), were searched for cohort studies and derivative research design types (nested case-control and case-cohort studies) from the date of inception to March 2022. We pooled relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the highest versus lowest category and per SD of circulating choline and betaine concentrations in relation to the risk of CVD and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: In the meta-analysis, 17 studies with a total of 33,009 participants were included. Random-effects model results showed that highest versus lowest quantile of circulating choline concentrations were associated with the risk of CVD (RR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.04-1.61) and all-cause mortality (RR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.12-2.36). We also observed the risk of CVD were increased 13% (5%-22%) with per SD increment. Furthermore, highest versus lowest quantile of circulating betaine concentrations were not associated with the risk of CVD (RR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.92-1.24) and all-cause mortality (RR = 1.39, 95% CI: 0.96-2.01). However, the risk of CVD was increased 14% (5%-23%) with per SD increment. CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of circulating choline were associated with a higher risk of CVD and all-cause mortality.

Bootstrapping Elliptic Feynman Integrals Using Schubert Analysis.

The symbol bootstrap has proven to be a powerful tool for calculating polylogarithmic Feynman integrals and scattering amplitudes. In this Letter, we initiate the symbol bootstrap for elliptic Feynman integrals. Concretely, we bootstrap the symbol of the twelve-point two-loop double-box integral in four dimensions, which depends on nine dual-conformal cross ratios. We obtain the symbol alphabet, which contains 100 logarithms as well as nine simple elliptic integrals, via a Schubert-type analysis, which we equally generalize to the elliptic case. In particular, we find a compact, one-line formula for the (2,2) coproduct of the result.

Anisotropic Nonlocal Damping in Ferromagnet/α-GeTe Bilayers Enabled by Splitting Energy Bands.

The understanding and manipulation of anisotropic Gilbert damping is crucial for both fundamental research and versatile engineering and optimization. Although several works on anisotropic damping have been reported, no direct relationship between the band structure and anisotropic damping was established. Here, we observed an anisotropic damping in Fe/GeTe manipulated by the symmetric band structures of GeTe via angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. Moreover, the anisotropic damping can be modified by the symmetry of band structures. Our Letter provides insightful understandings of the anisotropic Gilbert damping in ferromagnets interfaced with Rashba semiconductors and suggests the possibility of manipulating the Gilbert damping by band engineering.

Role of contrast-enhanced mammography in the preoperative detection of ductal carcinoma in situ of the breasts: a comparison with low-energy image and magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVES: To compare contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) with low-energy image (LEI) alone and with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the preoperative diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). METHODS: In this single-center retrospective study, we reviewed 98 pure DCIS lesions in 96 patients who underwent CEM and MRI within 2 weeks preoperatively. The diagnostic performances of each imaging modality, lesion morphology, and extent were evaluated. RESULTS: The sensitivity of CEM to DCIS was similar to that of MRI (92.9% vs. 93.9%, p = 0.77) and was significantly higher than that of LEI alone (76.5%, p = 0.002). The sensitivity of CEM to calcified DCIS (92.4%) was not significantly different from LEI alone (92.4%) and from MRI (93.9%, p = 1.00). However, CEM contributed to the simultaneous comparison of calcifications with enhancements. CEM had considerably higher sensitivity compared with LEI alone (93.8% vs. 43.8%, p < 0.001) and performed similarly to MRI (93.8%, p = 1.00) for noncalcified DCIS. All DCIS lesions were enhanced in MRI, whereas 94.9% (93/98) were enhanced in CEM. Non-mass enhancement was the most common presentation (CEM 63.4% and MRI 66.3%). The difference between the lesion size on each imaging modality and the histopathological size was smallest in MRI, followed by CEM, and largest in LEI. CONCLUSION: CEM was more sensitive than LEI alone and comparable to MRI in DCIS diagnosis. The enhanced morphology of DCIS in CEM was consistent with that in MRI. CEM was superior to LEI alone in size measurement of DCIS. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: This study investigated the value of CEM in the diagnosis and evaluation of DCIS, aiming to offer a reference for the selection of examination methods for DCIS and contribute to the early diagnosis and precise treatment of DCIS. KEY POINTS: • DCIS is an important indication for breast surgery. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial for DCIS treatment and prognosis. • CEM overcomes the deficiency of mammography in noncalcified DCIS diagnosis, exhibiting similar sensitivity to MRI; and CEM contributes to the comparison of calcification and enhancement of calcified DCIS, thereby outperforming MRI. • CEM is superior to LEI alone and slightly inferior to MRI in the size evaluation of DCIS.

Evaluation of toxicity and biocompatibility of a novel Mg-Nd-Gd-Sr alloy in the osteoblastic cell.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the toxicity and biocompatibility of a novel Mg-3Nd-1Gd-0.3Sr-0.2Zn-0.4Zr (abbreviated to Mg-Nd-Gd-Sr) alloy in the osteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 as osteoblasts play an important role in bone repair and remodeling. METHODS: We used cytotoxicity tests and apoptosis to investigate the effects of the Mg-Nd-Gd-Sr alloy on osteoblastic cells. Cell bioactivity, cell adhesion, cell proliferation, mineralization, ALP activity, and expression of BMP-2 and OPG by osteoblastic cells were also used to investigate the biocompatibility of Mg-Nd-Gd-Sr alloy. RESULTS: The results showed that the Mg-Nd-Gd-Sr alloy had no obvious cytotoxicity, and did not induce apoptosis to MC3T3-E1 cells. Compared with the control group, the number of adherent cells within 12 h was increased significantly in each experimental group (P < 0.05); the OD value of MC3T3-E1 cells was increased significantly in each experimental group on days 1 and 3 of culture (P < 0.05); the number of mineralized nodules formed in each experimental group was significantly increased (P < 0.05), and ALP activity was significantly increased in each experimental group (P < 0.05). RT-PCR results showed that the mRNA expression of BMP-2 and OPG was significantly higher in each experimental group compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Western blotting showed that the Mg-Nd-Gd-Sr alloy extract significantly increased the protein expression of BMP-2 and OPG compared with the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicated that the novel Mg-Nd-Gd-Sr-Zn-Zr alloy had no obvious cytotoxic effects, and did not cause apoptosis to MC3T3-E1 cells; meanwhile it promoted cell adhesion, cell proliferation, mineralization, and ALP activity of osteoblasts. During this process, there was an increase in the expressions of BMP-2 and OPG mRNAs and proteins.

Multiple papillary intralymphatic angioendotheliomas in the spleen.

A 18-year-old man presented with multiple asymptomatic masses in the spleen that had been detected on ultrasonography performed during a physical screening. He had no history of tuberculosis, and was otherwise well. Abdominal MR demonstrated multiple masses with internal stellate scars, which appeared as marked hypointensity on T2WI and contrast-enhanced MR. Most lesions showed inhomogeneous enhancement. The capsular enhancement was also revealed at delay phase. The patient underwent laparoscopic splenectomy. Pathological examination indicated papillary intralymphatic angioendothelioma (PILA), with the following immunohistochemistry results: CK (-), CR (-), ERG (+), CD34 (+), CD31 (+), D2-40 (+), Ki67 (3%+). The patient was feeling well at 6 months of follow-up.

Road crash risk prediction during COVID-19 for flash crowd traffic prevention: The case of Los Angeles.

Road crashes are a major problem for traffic safety management, which usually causes flash crowd traffic with a profound influence on traffic management and communication systems. In 2020, the sudden outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic led to significant changes in road traffic conditions. In this paper, by analyzing crash data from 2016 to 2020 and new COVID-19 case data in 2020, we find that the average crash severity and crash deaths during this period (a rapid increase of new COVID-19 cases in 2020) are higher than those in previous four years. Hence, it is necessary to exploit a novel road crash risk prediction model for such an emergency. We propose a novel data-adaptive fatigue focal loss (DA-FFL) method by fusing fatigue factors to establish a road crash risk prediction model under the scenario of large-scale emergencies. Finally, the experimental results demonstrate that DA-FFL performs better than the other typical methods in terms of area under curve (AUC) and false alarm rate (FAR) for imbalanced data. Furthermore, DA-FFL has better prediction performance in convolutional neural networks-long short-term memory (CNN-LSTM).

Exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells alleviate myocardial infarction via microRNA-31/FIH1/HIF-1α pathway.

Our previous study has revealed that exosomes from adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) promote angiogenesis in subcutaneously transplanted gels by delivery of microRNA-31 (miR-31) which targets factor inhibiting hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (FIH1) in recipient cells. Here we hypothesized that ASC exosomes alleviate ischemic diseases through miR-31/FIH1/hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) signaling pathway. Exosomes from ASCs were characterized with nanoparticle tracking analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and immunoblotting analysis for exosomal markers. Results from immunoblotting and laser imaging of ischemic mouse hindlimb revealed that miR-31 enriched ASC exosomes inhibited FIH1 expression and enhanced the blood perfusion, respectively. These effects were impaired when using miR-31-depleted exosomes. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed that administration of exosomes resulted in a higher arteriole density and larger CD31+ area in ischemic hindlimb than miR-31-delpleted exosomes. Similarly, knockdown of miR-31 in exosomes reduced the effects of the exosomes on increasing ventricular fraction shortening and CD31+ area, and on decreasing infarct size. Exosomes promoted endothelial cell migration and tube formation. These changes were attenuated when miR-31 was depleted in the exosomes or when FIH1 was overexpressed in the endothelial cells. Furthermore, the results from immunocytochemistry, co-immunoprecipitation, and luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that the effects of exosomes on nuclear translocation, binding with co-activator p300, and activation of HIF-1α were decreased when miR-31 was depleted in the exosomes or FIH1 was overexpressed. Our findings provide evidence that exosomes from ASCs promote angiogenesis in both mouse ischemic hindlimb and heart through transport of miR-31 which targets FIH1 and therefore triggers HIF-1α transcriptional activation.

ATP synthase inhibitory factor subunit 1 regulates islet ß-cell function via repression of mitochondrial homeostasis.

Mitochondrial homeostasis is crucial for the function of pancreatic ß-cells. ATP synthase inhibitory factor subunit 1 (IF1) is a mitochondrial protein interacting with ATP synthase to inhibit its enzyme activity. IF1 may also play a role in maintaining ATP synthase oligomerization and mitochondrial inner membrane formation. A recent study confirmed IF1 expresses in ß-cells. IF1 knockdown in cultured INS-1E ß-cells enhances glucose-induced insulin release. However, the role of IF1 in islet ß-cells remains little known. The present study investigates islets freshly isolated from mouse lines with global IF1 knockout (IF1-/-) and overexpression (OE). The glucose-stimulated insulin secretion was increased in islets from IF1-/- mice but decreased in islets from IF1 OE mice. Transmitted Electronic Microscopic assessment of isolated islets revealed that the number of matured insulin granules (with dense core) was relatively higher in IF1-/-, but fewer in IF1 OE islets than those of controlled islets. The mitochondrial ultrastructure within ß-cells of IF1 overexpressed islets was comparable with those of wild-type mice, whereas those in IF1-/- ß-cells showed increased mitochondrial mass. Mitochondrial network analysis in cultured INS-1 ß-cells showed a similar pattern with an increased mitochondrial network in IF1 knockdown cells. IF1 overexpressed INS-1 ß-cells showed a compromised rate of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation with attenuated cellular ATP content. In contrast, INS-1 cells with IF1 knockdown showed markedly increased cellular respiration with improved ATP production. These results support that IF1 is a negative regulator of insulin production and secretion via inhibiting mitochondrial mass and respiration in ß-cells. Therefore, inhibiting IF1 to improve ß-cell function in patients can be a novel therapeutic strategy to treat diabetes.

Clinical and Cerebrospinal Fluid Characteristics in 55 Cases of Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome: A Retrospective Analytical Study.

BACKGROUND: Several case series of patients with Tolosa-Hunt syndrome have been described in the literature; however, few studies have focused on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) characteristics. This study aimed to analyse the CSF characteristics of patients with Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. METHODS: Fifty-five patients who fulfilled the 3rd Edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders diagnostic criteria for Tolosa-Hunt syndrome were included in this study. We retrospectively analysed data on CSF parameters, imaging findings, and clinical characteristics of these patients. RESULTS: Oligoclonal bands (OBs) were detected in the CSF of 13 (13/44, 29.5%) patients. The sex ratio was balanced. The mean age at onset of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome was 46.9 ± 10.23 (range 22-72) years. Eight (8/13, 61.5%) patients had multiple cranial nerve palsies. Lesions limited to the cavernous sinus were found on magnetic resonance imaging in 7 (7/13, 53.8%) patients. OBs were significantly detected more frequently in patients whose samples were evaluated less than 30 days after the onset of this diseases (p = 0.026); however, there were no significant differences in the protein level (p = 0.360) and IgG synthesis rate (p = 0.614). CONCLUSIONS: The detection of OBs in the CSF of patients with Tolosa-Hunt syndrome was not rare. It would be interesting to follow-up patients with OBs to determine whether they eventually developed an otherwise more specific inflammatory diagnosis.

Dietary carotenoid intake and dental fluorosis in relation to SOD2 (rs 11968525) polymorphisms in Guizhou, China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Genetic and dietary factors are important contributors to the development of dental fluorosis (DF). This study investigated the association between DF and dietary carotenoids, and explored whether the association was modified by polymorphisms of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2 rs11968525) in Guizhou, China. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study with a total of 899 adults aged 18-75 years were enrolled in the study. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to assess dietary habits using a validated 75 item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Sociodemographic and lifestyle information, and blood and urine samples were also collected. Genotypes were evaluated using TaqMan single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Genotyping Assay. RESULTS: There were significant dose-dependent inverse associations of the prevalence of DF with intake of α-carotene, ß-carotene, lutein/zeaxanthin, lycopene and total carotenoids (p-trend ranged from <0.001-0.004). The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of DF comparing the highest against lowest quartile were 0.56 (0.35, 0.92) for α-carotene, 0.53 (0.35, 0.81) for ß-carotene, 0.44 (0.27, 0.74) for lycopene, 0.35 (0.21, 0.58) for lutein/zeaxanthin in combination and 0.42 (0.25, 0.69) for total carotenoids (all p-trend<0.005). Intake of ß-cryptoxanthin was not found to be related to DF. The inverse association of DF with dietary intake of α-carotene and ß-carotene was more evident in individuals with the AG+AA genotype (p-interaction<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Higher dietary carotenoids were associated with a lower occurrence of DF, polymorphisms in SOD2 (rs 11968525) modified the associations between dietary intake of carotene and DF. These findings provide evidence for precision prevention of fluorosis.

Nischarin Deletion Reduces Oxidative Metabolism and Overall ATP: A Study Using a Novel NISCHΔ5-6 Knockout Mouse Model.

Nischarin (Nisch) is a cytosolic scaffolding protein that harbors tumor-suppressor-like characteristics. Previous studies have shown that Nisch functions as a scaffolding protein and regulates multiple biological activities. In the current study, we prepared a complete Nisch knockout model, for the first time, by deletion of exons 5 and 6. This knockout model was confirmed by Qrt-PCR and Western blotting with products from mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF) cells. Embryos and adult mice of knockouts are significantly smaller than their wild-type counterparts. Deletion of Nisch enhanced cell migration, as demonstrated by wound type and transwell migration assays. Since the animals were small in size, we investigated Nisch's effect on metabolism by conducting several assays using the Seahorse analyzer system. These data indicate that Nisch null cells have lower oxygen consumption rates, lower ATP production, and lower levels of proton leak. We examined the expression of 15 genes involved in lipid and fat metabolism, as well as cell growth, and noted a significant increase in expression for many genes in Nischarin null animals. In summary, our results show that Nischarin plays an important physiological role in metabolic homeostasis.

Feynman Integrals and Scattering Amplitudes from Wilson Loops.

We study Feynman integrals and scattering amplitudes in N=4 super-Yang-Mills theory by exploiting the duality with null polygonal Wilson loops. As the main application, we compute for the first time the symbols of the general double pentagon integrals, which give the finite part of two-loop maximally helicity violating (MHV) amplitudes and finite components of next-to-MHV (NMHV) amplitudes to all multiplicities. The rational parts of the symbol consist of 164 letters, while the algebraic part contains 96 algebraic letters and cancel in MHV amplitudes and NMHV components which are free of square roots.